Posted by admin | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 17-09-2011
Tags: air, air balloons, air balloons baton rouge, air balloons festival, air balloons in new mexico, air balloons in the civil war, balloon, balloons, diy, hot
History of the Hot Air Balloon
A ride in a hot air balloon can be an exhilarating and refreshing way of bringing new perspective to your life. However, the idea of being suspended in the air by a thin-looking skein and wicker basket is admittedly peculiar. Have you ever thought about the history behind this odd, graceful looking contraption?
The hot air balloon was the first flight technology capable of carrying passengers. Unmanned balloons have been used in China since 220 AD as military signals. The first recorded flight was undertaken by a Portuguese priest, Bartolomeu de Gusmão in 1709, who was lifted about four meters off the ground by a small balloon. While calling this a flight may technically be a stretch, it was an impressive feat for its time.
It wasn’t until 1783 Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d’Arlandes took the first flight above Paris, France, launching from the Champs de Mars and landing approximately 21 km away. The French peasants were so frightened by the spectacle of the balloon that they rushed to attack it with knives and pitchforks. They were allegedly pacified when the pilots gave them a bottle of champagne.
Ballooning quickly took off as a competitive sport among fans attempting to set distant and height records. In 1785, Jean Pierre Blanchard and John Jefferies flew a balloon across the English Channel, establishing it as a safe vehicle for long distance travel. On January 7, 1793, Blanchard became the first person to operate hot balloon rides in America.
Since that time, the popularity of hot air ballooning has literally soared. Besides recreation, balloons have been used in military and commercial applications. Today, a number of festivals are dedicated to ballooners, such as the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and the Bristol Balloon Fiesta. Spectators merely have to look out of their windows to enjoy these colorful pieces of floating history.
About the Author
Find more information about Hot Air Balloon and Hot Balloon Rides and Balloon Festivals.
Hot Air Balloon Ride over Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Hot Air Balloon Fantasy Chilp Poem old 1900s postcard $7.00 |
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Victorian Calling Card Man Woman Watch Hot Air Balloon Ruben N. Krigger $8.00 |
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Otagiri Coffee Tea Mug Cup Hot Air Balloons Japan WOW $9.99 |
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1970′s Pentax ME Camera Hot Air Balloon Print Ad $8.50 |
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High Quality Hot Air Balloon Cufflinks $9.55 |
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ALABAMA TIDE HOT AIR BALLOON 3-D SPINNER GARDEN DECOR FLAG j $29.95 |
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Hot Air Balloon Style Spinner,16″ Patriotic PR 25857 $24.99 |
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Hallmark A World of Joy 2010 UNICEF Hot Air Balloon NIB $12.99 |
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’50s MAIDENFORM Bra AD~Woman in HOT AIR BALLOON w/Bird $9.69 |
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~FABRIC~DEBBIE MUMM~HOT AIR BALLOONS FQ 18″ X 22″ $2.00 |
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25 latex pearl silver balloon wedding party helium air $4.00 |
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HOT AIR BALLOONS History Story Photo INFO SPEC SHEET $5.99 |
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Hot Air Balloon Lapel Pin -Tie Tac~.925 Sterling Silver $28.75 |
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Hot-Air Balloons #2032/35 Mar. 31, 1983 Albuquerque, NM $4.00 |
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1994 ROMANS SANTAS JOURNEY SOARING O’ER CLOUDS HOT AIR BALLOON MUSIC BOX $25.00 |
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Green Black Handheld Plastic Balloon Air Inflator Pump $5.66 |
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Scenic Country Wall Art Print-Hot Air Balloons/Lake/Village/Cottages Home Decor $0.99 |
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WALL PAPER DECALS DECOR NURSERY STICKER AIR BALLOON #21 $9.90 |
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Frig Magnet – 5 Air Balloons $2.99 |
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Vintage Hot Air Balloon Oil Spot Glaze Multi Colored Chain Long Necklace Pendant $2.29 |
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Balloon Basketball Black Blue Plastic Air Pump Inflator $8.21 |
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RPPC~FIRST AIR VOYAGE IN AMERICA~HYDROGEN BALLOON $5.99 |
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1910 POSTCARD~BIRTHDAY~HOT AIR BALLOON~HEAVY EMBOSSED $5.99 |
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Triple Hot Air Balloon Iron On Applique $2.70 |
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Hot Air Balloon Iron On Applique $2.25 |
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Coleman 120V Electric Quick Pump $10.99 Coleman 120V Quick Pump is a universal filling station for mattresses, tires and more! Pump up just about anything with this 120V Quickpump from Coleman! Inflates a queen airbed in under 60 seconds! Comes with adapters for Boston valves, pinch valves or even Coleman double-lock valves. Includes a wall plug and cigarette lighter plug to power up! Order Today! Coleman 120V Quick Pump… |
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KitchenAid K45WW Wire Whip Replacement for KSM90 and K45 Stand Mixer $13.95 One year warranty. Replacement wire whip. For use with KitchenAid KSM90 and K45 Stand Mixers. Provides maxiumum volume for mixtures needing air. Handwash only. Amazon.com has certified this product’s packaging is Frustration-Free. A Frustration-Free Package is easy-to-open and comes without excess packaging materials such as hard plastic “clamshell” casings, plastic bindings, and wire ties. It is … |
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3 Piece Plastic Airlock (Sold in sets of 3) $1.25 3-piece plastic airlock with a snap-on vented cover. This airlock is easily cleaned and easy to use. Fill the airlock halfway up with your sanitizer and stick in the drilled rubber stopper. Be sure to see the other products offered by Learn To Brew LLC…. |
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Zoboomafoo – Sense-Sational Animal Friends [VHS] $12.98 Can you see in the dark, smell your way home, or dig for food with your nose? To learn about the unique abilities that different animals have, Chris and Martin ride in a hot-air balloon to “see like a hawk” and Myrtle the Bloodhound drops by to show Zoboo how she uses her super sense of smell. Join the fun as Zoboo leaps into the amazing world of animal “sense-abilities.”… |
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Fisher Price Terrific Trips: A Trip to the Post Office and A Trip to the Zoo All original live action photography and soundtrack enhance educational trips to the post office and zoo. Target age range: 2 through 8 years…. |
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Terrific Trips: Aquarium/Hot Air Balloon $18.94 2 stories: A trip to the aquarium and a trip to a hot air balloon festival…. |
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Children’s Nursery Room Wall Decal – Air Balloons $3.00 Go and immerse yourself with these fun hotair balloons. These removable, repositionable, and reusable stickers are the perfect and convenient way to adorn and decorate any space. Easy to peel off and to stick on walls, doors, windows, tables, refrigerators, and more! When you want to reposition your hot air balloons peel them off with ease without peeling off paint/wallpaper and without leaving be… |
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40 Tall Premium SKY LANTERNS – Fully Assembled – Flame Retardant – 100% Biodgradable Sky lanterns give you the opportunity to create a truly unique experience for your event or celebration that will be remembered. You can be sure that everyone will want to share the same memories with their friends and family at their events! When sky lanterns are simultaneously released into the night sky they create a truly mesmorizing display, which is both noiseless and epic. They are ideally … |
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Balloon Peel & Stick Wall Deco Mural Art Sticker $2.20 Go and immerse yourself with these fun hotair balloons. These removable, repositionable, and reusable stickers are the perfect and convenient way to adorn and decorate any space. Easy to peel off and to stick on walls, doors, windows, tables, refrigerators, and more! When you want to reposition your hot air balloons peel them off with ease without peeling off paint/wallpaper and without leaving be… |
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Up (Single-Disc Edition) $12.70 Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 11/10/2009 Run time: 96 minutes Rating: Pg… |
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Hot Air Balloons $11 Hot Air Balloons |
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Hot Air Balloons in the Sky $19.99 Hot Air Balloons in the Sky – Wall Decal |
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Launching of Hot Air Balloons $49.99 Launching of Hot Air Balloons – Framed Art Print |
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Rainbow Hot Air Balloons $19.99 Avalisa Rainbow Hot Air Balloons – Premium Poster |
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Five Hot Air Balloons $8.99 Jose Gomez Five Hot Air Balloons – Art Print |
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Hot Air Balloons at Dawn $24.99 Tony Wheeler Hot Air Balloons at Dawn – Photographic Print |